James McAvoy does not like predictability in his life. Whether it's the Marvel hit X-Men: First Class, the psychothriller Glass or a small recent independent drama like My Son;dhe 45-year-old Scot wants to reinvent himself as often as possible. The most recent proof is the thriller Speak No Evil. Gentlemen's Watch spoke exclusively to McAvoy.
Text: Jorrit Niels Image: Universal Pictures
Whether on stage as Macbeth or mixing between commercial and in-depth roles in films, James McAvoy's career has been peppered with popular and critically acclaimed performances. He was first noticed as the hairy Mr Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005, but the Scot became a regular in Hollywood through his role in The Last King of Scotland from 2006.
A down-to-earth Scot, he has always remained one. He loves to talk about his craft, but above all, don't make it too pompous. "It's not that you turns into another character when you're playing someone," McAvoy tells us via Zoom. "Because at the end of the day, it's still me. It's more like with every role you turn into a different actor, the actor you need to be to play the role. I believe Laurence Olivier once said that acting is just 'knowing what kind of play you're in'."
'I find it interesting to test the boundaries of what we find socially acceptable'
Now he is being praised for his latest role in that of James Watkins' (Black Mirror, Eden Lake) Speak No Evil. McAvoy plays a father with a dark side in Blumhouse's remake of the 2022 Danish horror film of the same name. An inky black comedy about social manners. At least, that's how we're describing it for now, so as not to get too much spoil. It is about a family (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi), who invite two friends (Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis) to spend a weekend in their idyllic, remote house in the countryside. It turns into a trip to hell when things take an unimaginably sinister turn.
McAvoy once again manages to deliver a seemingly effortless, terrifying performance, just as he did in films like Split and Glass. This despite his jovial appearance in real life. "I try to be that, but I can't deny that it's wonderful to explore some pretty disturbing depths in my roles. Paddy, my role, is, on the one hand, a charming and sociable friend, host, husband and father. And on the other hand, he is, well... anything but that."
Was there a moment when you really got through to Paddy as a character?
"Ai, I don't know. I don't think I ever have a complete grip on any character I play. Just like in real life, no idea if I ever really have a complete grip on myself! Sometimes there is a scene where you realise that you have drawn everything out of a character and you feel like you are him. But during the shooting of a film, that happens to you maybe only a handful of times."
Paddy comes across a lot softer in the beginning. Completely different from the 'beast' later in the film. How did you handle that?
"Absolutely. I wanted to make him less physically intimidating in his earlier scenes, before the true nature of his character would be revealed. I tried to keep him as soft as possible in the beginning the story, when we are on holiday. Then at the end of the film to pull out all that classic shit actors do when they want to appear as 'big' as possible on screen. So eating fewer carbs, doing push-ups before every take, you know the drill. All that kind of stuff so that he looks more beastly. Also, the costume department helped me. The layers literally go with you. It starts in softer, looser, costumes. And you reveal more and more the animal in yourself as the film progresses."
The film balances impressively with a certain tension. Like a bow, the tension becomes more and more tense, until inevitably a powerful shot when it literally 'goes wild'.
"I'm going to steal that arc comparison for the interviews I give about the film after this! But indeed, that's why I wanted to make this film. In a drama or a thriller, stretching that arc is very nice to play."
In the first hour of the film, it is just that.
"Where the bow is stretched.... Or it simply breaks. Because especially during that process, there are tense moments. You are never quite sure if something snaps and a moment of comedy or discomfort unintentionally follows."
A perfect film for cinema.
"Exactly! Of course you can enjoy it if you watch it later at home on a streaming service. But I saw the film with an audience and the collective reaction is what takes this kind of film to the next level. Calling out to the screen, laughing away your discomfort after a scary moment; that's where the cinema experience always wins anyway."
The film says something about masculinity and manners. How did you look at this?
"Blumhouse is the production company behind this film. Their best work, such as The Purge, Us or The Hunt, is entertainment. It is popular, accessible, but always says something about the society we live in today. That's what made this film so interesting to make. I don't know any producer who manages to do that so consistently and so well. For me, it's especially interesting to explore the boundaries, the layer we find socially acceptable. Basically, we are all animals. All of us have it in us to kill, to steal, to take and to be selfish.
But we have made a social contract together to suppress those tendencies in order to live in a somewhat normal and safe society. The people who do not adhere to this can sometimes appear very attractive. By fantasising about letting go of the pressure and stress that these social manners bring. However, that in turn brings anarchy and brutality."
'The industry survives on the sacrificial nature of your performance'
By that attraction, do you mean the obvious admiration Ben (McNairy) harbours for your character Paddy?
"Exactly. He is this charismatic doctor, but beneath that charm is a deep well of toxic masculinity. Paddy shows a version of the so-called good life. Off the grid, self-sufficient, needing nothing from others and living full of passion. I see it as a modern version of classic masculinity that is not metrosexual, that is not beta, that does not compromise in any way. And the dangerous yet clever thing about the script: he makes it almost digestible. Ben watches with admiration Paddy's alpha energy and unbridled passion for his sexy, equally carefree wife, Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), while Paddy enjoys encouraging Ben to unleash his inner caveman as well.
Does it also refer to figures now influencing younger men?
"Fortunately not on all young men, but that's true. Andrew Tate immediately comes to mind then, with his uncompromising and quite disturbing doctrine. But what I found really clever about the script is that it always balances on a line. It's not all toxicity, you also see him as a loving husband. And that's the dangerous and delightful thing about the film. The film explores our ability to accept. Our ability to resign, and just accept a lot of nonsense and believe what you're told and obey... The victims here are mostly digging a hole for themselves. But why?"
To protect yourself, to keep the peace...
"Definitely. I think we've all been in situations like that. Small example, but still: you're at a party and someone says something, or someone behaves a certain way... And it's only when you get home that you have that slightly angry: 'I should have said that or done that.' At that point you think, 'Oh, I'll leave it, otherwise I'll just make it worse'."
You have now been working at the highest echelons of your craft for more than two decades. Did you always dream of international success?
"As a teenager, I preferred to lie in bed and make up stories with me as the main character. Usually I had to beat a bully or something. Imagination is important. But I am not very competitive. I never looked at colleagues and thought I should do things differently, because so-and-so is doing so well. I never felt that. What I do sometimes think: how come they have so much success, they are not very good." (grins)
What do you look for in roles these days, has that changed over the years?
"Quite honestly? Still mostly challenge, a good challenge. So something I can work with to really deliver something substantial, which is not necessarily always about acting. Playing a role and acting are not always the same thing. For me, the former includes the physical. So that I show more than just what the script gives me. And with which I can surprise the audience."
'I've been really lucky. It's been a good ride for me'
What does work give you?
"Same as on my 16e, when I got a role and my horizons exploded. With all kinds of weird actors, directors and artistic people I met. And it only got more bizarre as it expanded globally. That enriches your life. But what it gave me most of all: so much more self-confidence. To find out who I was and not be afraid of who I was. I've been really lucky. It's been a good ride for me."
Which role is still missing?
(laughs) "I have often talked about my love for Star Trek. And jokingly, but also quite seriously: if a young Jean-Luc Picard is ever needed, I'm your man. But by now I'm probably too old to play a young Jean-Luc Picard. Although, we now live in the era of remakes, so there's always a chance."
And hunger, how about that?
"I still put the same energy into every role. And with a script like Speak No Evil I love to devour it and make it all my own. But I don't want to live to work. During the pandemic, and even before, I made the decision; I want to be there to raise my children. So if I don't have to go around the world for work, I'd rather not.
The industry is great and has given me a wonderful life. But it survives on the sacrificial nature of your performance. I always say, I never want to be Bill Murray's character in Lost in Translation are. In which he actually has no life because he did the films - and he can't remember any of the films. And is alienated from everything and everyone. That's why my focus, in terms of work, is to keep enjoying acting, but not at any cost."
Through your work, what is one of the memories that has stuck with you the most?
"What immediately comes to mind right now, and so it will have value, though I'm sure I'll think of a thousand other things again later... Anyway, on the water at Zakynthos, Greece. I was snorkelling about two-and-a-half kilometres and was starting to get tired. I decided to turn back and a giant turtle swam straight at me. I was terrified, but followed him at a distance for quite a while. I didn't want to bother him, so turned away from him, and then another one swam towards me. I followed that guy too for quite a while. I swam back and in the shallow water, where many people were, a thirteenth turtle was hanging around at the bottom of the sea.
I ended up floating there for about 20 minutes, watching him mesmerised. Emotional and beautiful. Without my work or its financial benefits, I would not have got there so quickly. Incidentally, I did come out of the water with the most horribly burnt back. But it was worth it, no doubt."
Speak No Evil is now playing in cinemas
CV
Name: James McAvoy
Date of birth: 21 April 1979 (45), Glasgow, Scotland
Residence: London, England & Los Angles, USA
Private situation: Married (two children)
Work: State of Play (2003), The Chronicles of Narnia (2005), The Last King of Scotland (2006), Atonement (2007), Wanted (2008), The Conspirator (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), Trance (2013), Filth (2013), Split (2016), Atomic Blonde (2017), Glass (2019), It: Chapter Two (2019), My Son (2021), His Dark Materials (2019-2022), Speak No Evil (2024)
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